Saturday, March 29, 2014

Hi Everyone! I hope you are all doing great! Today's recipe is a healthy Granola recipe. The grocery store is full of Granola brands, most of them are packed with lots and lots of refined sugar and bad fats, so the granola you are buying might not be as healthy as you think it is. And quite frankly Granola can be expensive. Why would you pay 7 dollar for a bag of sugary granola, when you can make your own? It takes no time and no effort at all,I assure you, you will very pleased with this recipe, its so well balanced in flavor and nutrition. All the flavors complement each other so beautiful, you will want to eat this everyday!

Makes About 5½ cupsIngredients

3 cups Old Fashion Oats

4 Tablespoons Chia Seeds

3 Tablespoons Ground Flax Seeds

¼ cup Raisins (more to taste)

1/3 cups shredded Coconut (sweet or unsweetened)

½ cup chopped nuts

½ cup chopped Almonds (optional)

½ cup dried fruit (I used mango, papaya and pineapple)

1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon Salt

2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

1½ tablespoons Coconut Oil

¼ cup Agave Nectar (or honey) (Add more to taste)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a a large container, combine the Old Fahion Oats with the Chia Seeds, ground Flax Seed,nuts, almonds, and coconut, season with the ground Cinnamon, salt and nutmeg, stir well and set a side for a minute.

In a small bowl, combine the Coconut oil with the Vanilla extract, place this in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds to soften the coconut oil, then add in the Agave Nectar, stir well, and pour this mixture over the Old Fashion Oats mixture, stir well to combine everything together. You want the oat mixture to get soak with the oil and agave mixture. Taste the flavor, add more agave nectar, cinnamon, salt or nutmeg if you think is necessary.

Pour the Granola Mixture on a large baking sheet, spread it on an even-flat layer, make sure the granola is well distributed along the baking sheet, (feel free to use more than one baking sheet). Bake at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and toasted.

Transfer to a cold surface to cool down for about 5-10 minutes, then place it a container, add in the dried fruit and raisins, stir together to combine thoroughly. And that's it, you are ready to enjoy!

Store in an air tight container. (Stays fresh and crunchy for up to 2½ weeks)